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I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but I don’t own a cast iron skillet. Being an avid home cook who has been obsessed with cooking since I was 7, it seems silly that I don’t own this essential kitchen tool. I have almost every pot, pan, knife and utensil a home cook would need, except the one that’s at the top of every “must need” list: a weathered, heavy cast-iron. Anytime I visit my parents and cook something in their well-seasoned cast iron skillet, a family heirloom that was passed down from my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, I fantasize about getting my own and making all the wonderful recipes that call for this key tool: omelettes, hash browns, brownies, you name it.

The best kind of skillets are the ones that are handed down through generations, perfectly seasoned and cared for. Generations of recipes, traditions and history, all passed down through the use of a sturdy cast-iron skillet. Anytime I see a recipe calling for a cast-iron pan, I try to improvise or end up saving it for later; or spend hours researching the best brand so I can someday call it my own. But when I came across this skillet corn bread recipe from one of my absolute favorite cookbooks, “Once Upon a Tart…“, I knew I had to make it and couldn’t wait for my inevitable heavy iron purchase. I do have a really pretty, heavy pie plate I received as a gift, so decided I couldn’t hold out any longer – I would make this recipe in a pie pan, and I’m so glad I didn’t hold out.

This corn bread is absolutely delicious. The richness of the browned butter adds a nice subtle, nutty flavor to the bread, and the sugar adds a sweetness that complements the saltiness of the butter and corn. I reduced the sugar in the recipe by half because I don’t like my cornbread that sweet, but if you prefer sweeter feel free to add up to a 1/2 cup more. Baking the batter in the heavy pie plate added a nice golden crust to the outer layer, but I imagine baking this in a good cast-iron skillet will make it that much better.

I originally made this corn bread to accompany a winter stew, but I found I liked it even better the next morning for breakfast, toasted with a dab of butter. Because everything is better with butter…and cast-iron skillets.

Brown Butter Skillet Corn Bread

Note: If you’re like me and don’t own a cast-iron skillet, this corn bread can also be baked in a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or a glass or ceramic 9- or 10- inch pie plate. This cornbread is not overly sweet, but if you prefer sweeter cornbread, feel free to add up to a 1/2 cup additional sugar. Adapted from Once Upon a Tart…

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

1 1/3 cups cold whole milk

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 450º F, and position your oven racks so that one is in the center. Butter a 9- or 10- inch cast iron skillet (or a 5×9 loaf pan) and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, until melted. Allow to cook, stirring constantly, until it is browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Make sure to brown but not burn. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and whole milk together. Add the cooled, browned butter and whisk until combined.

Little known fact about me: I love chocolate. Okay, that might have been obvious by now if you are a frequent visitor of my little part of these here interwebs, but seriously, I live for chocolate. I’m not even in the slightest bit embarrassed about admitting to the fact that I probably eat chocolate almost every day. Most of the time, it’s just a small square, or a few chocolate chips, but I have a hard time going a full day without my much needed chocolate fix. Continue reading →

One of the first recipes I can remember making as a child is buttermilk biscuits. I made them for almost every holiday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and often just because. I remember the first time I made them, wanting to follow the recipe exactly, I pulled out a ruler to measure 1/2 inch thickness. I was probably 7-8. True nerd from the beginning. Continue reading →

For the past few weeks, I’ve been making a conscious effort to eat healthy, which hasn’t been that difficult considering the endless amount of nutritious and delicious recipes on the internet. Eating more healthfully, for me, often means opting for cooking rather than ordering in, and I’ve been having a blast researching so many different recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks and blogs. I’ve been stocking up on veggies,healthier flours (buckwheat pancakes anyone?), and cutting back on sugar. The hardest part about conscious eating, for me at least, is that I can’t resist my incessant sweet tooth. As hard as I try, my hankering for baked goods can not be denied. In addition to my pathetic lack of self control when it comes to sweets, I also didn’t want to miss out on this month’s #bundtbakers theme: Coconut (one of my faves!) Continue reading →

Sometimes I think there’s nothing better than Christmas time at home with my parents. My mom and dad live in a 19th century, stone town house in Pennsylvania, and every Christmas, with wood fires burning, we hang our stockings and sit by the fireplace laughing, eating and drinking until it’s well into the early morning. My parents go the extra mile when decorating the house for Christmas. Their tree is adorned with antique ornaments, beads, garlands and Christmas lights. Every fireplace mantle is swathed with fir tree branches, and our front door is crowned with a homemade Della Robbia, welcoming all family and friends that come to share the holiday spirit. Continue reading →

September flew by, (thanks to a pretty lengthy trip to Europe that I promise to write about soon!), and the cool air, shorter days and falling leaves means that fall is officially upon us. And while I have every intention of writing about my favorite fall flavors here soon – cinnamon, apples, nutmeg, pumpkin, butternut squash, oh my – I thought it was necessary to share one of my other fall favorite recipes: Guacamole. Continue reading →

Lobster rolls have become a thing – epitomizing summer, but eaten all year around. Served at road side stands by the beach and from food trucks dotted across all of New York’s boroughs. There’s now even an annual Lobster Roll Festival, where for a couple of hundred bucks (yea, that’s right – lobster is expensive!) you can try as many different lobster rolls as you want. And I can see why you would because everyone seems to have their opinion of what kind of lobster roll is best. So might as well try them all! What kind is your favorite? Continue reading →

Well this spring absolutely flew by. And while it seems like I was just complaining about the unbearably cold winter that we faced here in NYC, pretty soon you’re going to start reading my rants about the insufferable heat we poor New Yorkers have to face while we cram into steamy, overcrowded subway cars. But not yet. No – not quite yet – because this week we’re talking about sugar-plum fairies desserts, glorious summer recipes and my favorite place on earth. Continue reading →

Whenever I ask my Jewish friends what’s on the menu for their Passover Seder, I always get similar responses: meat and potatoes. The dishes may vary, from brisket to a roast. From mashed potatoes to potato gratin. But chances are, these two staples are most likely on the menu. It makes a lot of sense, when you can’t have bread, potatoes are the obvious choice for a delicious starchy side. Continue reading →

Whenever I buy a bunch of bananas, it never fails that I have at least 2 or 3 left at the end of the week that have turned completely black and are no longer very appealing for topping cereal or sliced on peanut butter toast. I realized this past weekend that I’ve probably been doing it on purpose…because you can’t make banana bread without over-ripe, almost rotten, bananas. Continue reading →